My Dearest
by Manaxsavior
Summary: I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't leave you. But this is for your happiness. It's okay. I don't mind if I'm gone… Just promise me, Soma. Promise you'll remember me. SomaxMshe
1. The Place Where I Belong

**My Dearest**

I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't leave you. But this is for your happiness. It's okay. I don't mind if I'm gone… Just promise me, Soma. Promise you'll remember me. SomaxMshe

Chapter 1: The Place Where I Belong

Let's see…if I had to make a timeframe I'd say _Room for Three_ happened in the late summer two months from _Fly Me to the Moon_ happened around the early fall season. Three months have passed so now it should be about winter…ish… I didn't really plan out the time intervals so now I wish I did. I recommend reading at least _Fly Me to the Moon_ before reading this.

And I'd like to say a few words to my lovely reviewers from _Fly Me to the Moon_.

**HKARI AI**: Hehe here's yet another one for us Soma lovers! I really look forward to our messages and I hope they can continue! I especially look forward to the fic you're writing too! I wanna read them NAOW!

**InkDragoness**: I love making scenes where Soma hides how sweet and soft he really is on the inside. He's like a burnt marshmallow in that sense I guess? Yummm… Wait, does that make Rin the graham cracker or the chocolate…?

**Mage of Hope**: I hope you're ready for another SomaxMshe fic! This one might just beat the rest. I dunno but I hope so, haha.

**Tashaj4de**: I specialize in even surprising myself when it comes to making some of these fics. You might just find out where Rin wants to go in this fic…

**Lushard**: We have to try expanding this section. Hopefully there will be an influx of fics once God Eater 2 comes out in 2013. I can't wait to get it! It'll probably mess up my college grades but it'll be worth it, XD. I hope I can continue to meet your expectations

**CrazyGEBplayer**: You have made my day when I read your review, XD. Instead of getting shot, I'm pretty sure the majority of the GEB community would agree that we need a good yummy Soma lemon. –shifty eyes- Not saying I haven't thought about making one… I just suck at making lemons so I've never uploaded one. That might change in the near future seeing as I'm in college now and I don't give a crap if people from my school see it. Now…if I could somehow block my relatives from seeing it…XD

* * *

_Please use your voice to speak to me_

_Your face across the screen doesn't tell me enough _

_Speak, because even minor and trivial things _

_Because even those kinds of things hold meaning_

_-Ayumi Hamasaki, Tell me Why_

* * *

Soma wiped the sweat off his brow and winced when he grazed a long cut on his temple. An Ogretail got lucky before being quickly dispatched by some well-placed oracle bullets. The medicine that staunched the flow wore off and he swore at the crimson fluid that ran into his left eye. He rummaged through his pack and cursed when he realized he used them all.

"Stubborn idiot. This is what happens when you don't restock before every mission," a familiar redhead walked over to him and forced him to sit down so that she could easily examine his injuries. She had already seen to the other two New-types that she and Soma had been training. She took some of her dwindling supply of medicine and gently applied it on his cut. The bleeding slowly began to stop and he gave her a brief word of thanks. In the past, he would have brushed off any help and took care of himself. One time, long before his current leader became a God Eater, he was so injured that a team was called in to take him away from the battlefield for treatment. Soma merely snarled and leaped back into the fray. Rin (being the protective leader she was) was not at all pleased hearing this news, but after many banters and threats to tie him to a stretcher he finally relented to her mother henning.

But that didn't mean that he relented to her own stubbornness. Soma's sharp eyes noted the way she had the slightest limp on her right leg.

"Take your boot off." He ordered. Rin sighed and eased herself down to the floor to do as told. She knew better than to be a hypocrite when it came to dealing with Soma. With a wince Rin rolled up her pant leg and revealed reddened and swollen flesh at the ankle. "When?"

"Probably when I took that blow for Dastan," Rin answered as she recalled how the newbie New-type foolishly tried searching for materials without checking his surroundings first. Even now he was staring apologetically at her back while tentatively devouring what was left of a nearby Aragami.

Soma shook his head and quickly pulled off his tie from around his neck. He ignored her confused look and carefully began to make a makeshift ankle wrap. His tie definitely wasn't as long as the process needs but it was better than nothing. Neither of them said anything as he probed her flesh to double check for breaking. Every now and then she would flinch away but relaxed soon after when he muttered a quick apology or guilty curse. When he deemed his work was satisfactory he sat back and surveyed her reaction. Rin wasn't used to his EMT skills and a confused frown made its way on her face as she stared at the black tie around her foot.

"Soma—"

"It's a tie. It's not like it's my shirt and be glad I didn't rip that up for a longer bandage," Soma cut her off and raised a brow at her furrowed ones. "What?"

"I could have lasted until the chopper got here. It's only a two hour wait from here." She began to argue her point but the buster blader would have none of that.

"That means two hours to get back to the Den. I count four hours total, _leader_," he drawled on her title with a smug smirk and relished in her attempts to scramble for another point to argue. When it looked like she finally found one, Soma cut her off. "Consider it a favor to the rookies. They look like they're going to beg you for forgiveness." Rin's eyes widened and she quickly turned behind her to where she last saw the New-types. In doing so she shifted her wrapped foot and winced. Soma shook his head and got up. "Stay here. And I mean it. If you so much as move an inch I'll make sure you get locked in the infirmary when we get back."

Rin couldn't help but smile a little in rebellious mischief. "You know I can override the locks."

"Then I'll just have to stay in the room to make sure you don't." he countered and walked away to check on the rookies. Rin processed his reply slowly. The more she thought about it the more her cheeks felt hot. Ever since their vacation, Soma had been acting…different. Instead of her seeking him out, Soma would occasionally come visit her in the lounge when they had time off. Sometimes he would even knock on her door with the excuse that the heating system in his room wasn't functioning and that he needed to look at hers to see how to fix his. Rin laughed when those nights happened because Soma would occasionally hit his head on something and give up for the night—resulting in them talking and chatting until lights out. Actually it was mainly her doing the talking, but she didn't mind. On nights when he was talkative she learned a lot more about him. Even his subtle behaviors began to stand out.

He always drank with his right hand.

He dislikes spicy food.

His favorite season was winter.

He 'disappears' on nights when the moon was full and new.

No doubt he was sneaking off during the nightly missions, however…The new moon sparked her curiosity. She could understand the full moon. Shio was watching over them and that was the time Soma stared the longest—as if looking for her tiny form on the battered face of the moon. So why the new?

The sound of the choppers blades alerted her that she had to focus now. Within minutes she was carried out on a stretcher onto the chopper and belted down for safety. As usual, Soma took his spot near the exit with one leg propped up and the other extended. His trademark hood was still over his head and his eyes cast over the sandy horizon. The only thing wrong with his profile was the missing black tie that now stabilized her ankle. The medical team that helped her onto the chopper began to undo the knot that held the makeshift bandage in place. Rin frowned with each passing twist and pull that loosened that black cloth, but when they asked if it hurt she just smiled reassuringly and urged them on. Soma's eyes flitted over and met hers for a few seconds before settling back down on the empty, desolate sand dunes.

* * *

Tick

"…"

Tick

"…"

Tick

"…GAH I'm bored!" Rin whined and childishly threw her pillow to the opposite wall. She crossed her arms and glared at her locked door. After some risky explanations on Soma's part to Tsubaki, Rin was sentenced to recover in her room for the time being. Locked in felt like a more proper term, but when Tsubaki tells you an order then you do it or die…or both. Normally her ankle would be healed by now, but there had been a shortage of medicine that accelerated the oracle cells in her body. She had already given up her saved up stash to a part of the Outer Ghetto that was recently overrun by Chi-You and Kongou that snuck through a weakened section of the anti-Aragami wall that surrounded the Outer Ghetto. Luckily no one was killed, but Rin felt somewhat responsible for not arriving sooner.

The air-locked doors hissed open and heavy footsteps came in. Rin recognized the footfalls even before she saw their owner and smiled in greeting. "Nice seeing you here."

Lindow raised his arm and returned her grin with one of his own. He settled down in the seat next to her bed. "Hey, rookie! So what's this I hear that you're stuck?"

"I'm on house arrest by order of the famous Soma," Rin crossed her arms over her chest and puffed her cheeks. "There isn't enough medicine to go around so I gotta heal on my own for a bit. It'll take a while for my body to get used to not relying on its oracle cells." When she saw him reach into his pack she frowned and glared harshly at him. "I swear that better be a cigarette because if you're giving me your medicine I'm going to make sure you're in the bed next to me."

"It's a good thing I needed a smoke then," he chuckled and pulled out the aforementioned stick. Rin sighed in relief when he gave her a look of understanding. "You don't mind, do ya?"

"Nah, but mind if you share?"

Lindow shook his head and puffed out a stream of smoke away from her direction. "No can do. You're not the only one being nagged. And if you start smoking then it's gonna be hard as hell for me to stop."

Rin grinned mischievously. "So, if Sakuya is finally getting you to quit smoking why are you doing it here in the _infirmary_?"

"It's hard enough going throughout the day normally. Add cold turkey to the mix? Haha, put me up solo against that Ouroboros again. It'll be easier." He joked and killed his light with his portable ashtray. When he was rewarded with a skeptical raised brow he gave her a helpless gesture. "C'mon give me a break, kiddo."

"Get me out of here and I will," she offered but Lindow shook his head. Rin narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Was it Soma or Tsubaki?" Despite knowing that her anger wasn't directed at him Lindow felt his heart race in a fight or flight response. But the previous 1st Unit leader was used to dealing with anger and shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly.

"Look, fact of the matter is, you're still injured and in no shape to be out in the field." When she didn't budge he had to play his trump card. "No offence, but you'll probably end up getting someone hurt with your stubbornness right now." At last her glare shifted from shock, to realization, and finally to resignation. Lindow clapped her shoulder with his left hand with a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, rookie. You'll be out there in no time flat hacking and slashing and doing some dirty work. Think of this as a paid vacation."

"How am I getting paid?" she grumbled. Lindow rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. Rin protested and tried to swat his hand away. He noticed that she was a lot slower than before and the force she used wasn't up to par with what he was used to. Her body probably wouldn't be used to relying on its original cells to recover for a while.

"Get some sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get, because when you get back you're gonna have some catching up to do!" After she sleepily agreed he left the room to leave Rin to her thoughts. When the doors behind him closed he leaned against it. A couple feet away from his spot on the very same wall was someone that seemed to mirror his stance.

"You know, I meant what I said that she's going to hurt someone with how stubborn she is." Lindow looked to his old time friend. It seemed like yesterday that he was in a chopper with his friend and sister. He was what…fourteen? Maybe he was even younger. "Are you still going to keep quiet?"

Soma averted his eyes and grunted. However, after a moment's pause he uncrossed his arms and stared at the door leading into the infirmary. "If I told her she wouldn't believe me."

"That there is a mistake," Lindow made a 'tsk' sound and wagged his finger. "There's a difference between knowing how she'll react and assuming. And I think by the way you're going now you're not going to be the only one hurt by stubbornness." Soma once again averted his eyes. The noir-haired God Eater smiled a little and turned towards the elevator. "Just think about it."

The buster blader, now alone in the hall, fully turned towards the door. His hand made a movement to unlock the door, but instead it hovered over the keypad. Inside he could faintly hear a quiet sigh. With a now clenched fist Soma turned on his heel and went towards the elevator.

If he had stayed just a little while longer, he may have heard a sleepy mumbling of his name past the cold metal door.

* * *

A week had passed since her house arrest. Luckily the oracle cells in Rin's body finally started to heal her ankle. As such, she was relocated back into her room for the time being. Unfortunately enough for her, God Eaters were in high demand lately so her friends could scarcely visit her. Rin was more than grateful when Kota still managed to stop by and let her in on a new anime that he believed rivaled Bugarally. Alisa came over sometimes too and told her how her missions went. Sakuya offered her medical expertise on her ankle when she wasn't called to train some rookies and even managed to speed up her healing by at least a week. She'd probably be off her crutches by the end of the month, which was in another week.

But Soma…

Rin looked at the black tie in her hand. He never picked it up after like she expected him to. She was saddened by the fact he hadn't visited her like before. Was it something she did? She couldn't recall anything that could have angered the platinum blonde God Eater. It couldn't have been that he's been swamped with missions since everyone else was on normal schedule. Dr. Sakaki wasn't the type to send people on solo missions on such a regular basis, even if he could. She…was lonely without him. Rin sighed and looked at her window screen to the setting sun. It was her favorite setting aside from the grassy fields from her room as a rookie. Rin even purposefully chose missions in the City of Mercy since it had the most beautiful sunsets despite the sad state of the area.

She got up out of bed and entered a few numbers on her terminal. The screen flickered to black for a few seconds before shifting to a night sky filled with shimmering stars and the large white moon. "Hey, Shio," Rin began and leaned her back against the terminal railings. "How has it been up there? I can bet that it's pretty chilly." She mused to herself. She had no idea how the surface of the moon felt but Dr. Sakaki once told her that space was much colder than earth. "Have you seen Soma anywhere?"

No answer.

"Is he okay? He's being his usual stubborn self I bet."

No answer.

"Does he tell you everything? Like how he's feeling?"

No answer.

"…Has he told you he liked you?" she choked on her breath for a fraction of a second. Rin smiled regardless of her aching chest. "Do you remember what 'to like someone' means? It's kind of like when you find your favorite kind of food. You want more and more of it, but if you ask for too much you won't get any more. Everything will change. Everything." Rin shook her head and turned off the screen before looking away.

A knock on her door alerted her and she felt her heart race on instinct. Rin walked over and checked the hall camera. "Eh? Doctor Sakaki?" He simply waved his hand towards the camera in greeting. Rin hurriedly unlocked the doors and opened them for the director. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, good to see you're doing well in your recovery," he said conversationally and Rin could already feel something amiss in the air. His next sentence cinched it. "Do you think you'll be ready for the field once more any time soon?"

"Paylor," She started off dead serious. Rin narrowed her eyes at him. The New-Type was in no mood to deal with sugar-coated missions. "I know that tone. I'll consider what you want, but I swear…if you leave out anything important that could endanger anyone any more than they have to be I will make sure there's an _accident_ in your lab." Rin's voice was steady, leaving no room for doubt. Sakaki had his poker face, as per usual, but Rin could tell he wasn't going to beat around the bush any longer.

"Well if you put it that way… You're being reassigned."

Bush beaten: confirmed

Sakaki took advantage of her shock and continued. "More and more branches are introducing New-Types to their ranks and they need a veteran to train them."

"I'm the only veteran on hand?" she challenged and he seemed to sulk at her animosity toward him.

"I tried to reason with the higher ups but they're demanding _you_." He pushed his glasses up and then offered her a wry smile. "You are the one that preventing the Devouring Apocalypse and resolved the Hannibal incident after all."

"My_ team_ and I did all that," she stressed and made her way to her bed to at least get comfortable. She wasn't going to budge until she had a legitimate reason to follow through. It wasn't that she was against training other New-Types. That was completely understandable. But something tugged at her…something that told her there was something greater at play here. Ever since the Shio incident and everything had settled down she demanded to know everything that he and Director Schicksal had done. And by everything she meant _everything_. That included the Managarm Project and its connection with Soma. Needless to say, her once pleasant view on the foxlike doctor went sour fast. At least when it came to backdoor missions.

"I understand your reasoning for questioning the validity of my words…"

"Not validity. Clarity." She corrected.

"Clarity," he amended, "but this is something much more than just Fenrir. It involves everyone." The doctor's smile finally faded and he crossed his arms into his robes. "…Including Shio."

That roused her interest and she reluctantly took the bait. "Explain."

"It's no secret that _something_ was sent to the moon and caused vegetation to grow on its surface." He started off and clicked his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Not many outside the 1st Unit knows the singularity—Shio, was the one that caused it. They're thinking of sending up a shuttle to research what exactly is occurring on the moon's surface. In other words, humans are going there."

"And if Shio is up there then…"

"Likely, they'll bring her back." Sakaki finished but not too eagerly. "The question is _where_ they'll take her after."

Rin didn't have to question that. She was familiar with how scientists coveted their experiments and findings as if they were their reasons for living in this god forsaken world. "Alright then. What does this have to do with me? It can't just be about training New-Types." Her eyes widened. "They're taking them to the moon, too…"

"Precisely," he said and smiled a little. "You always were my favorite student." He smiled a little but it soon faded. "Unfortunately…there's more."

"How else could it get worse?" she groaned but motioned for the doctor to continue.

"Many of those higher ups in the branches you'll visit were supporting the previous Director's Arc Project…" he frowned and Rin could start putting the pieces together before he continued. "They're not too happy about all their 'donations' being put to waste by the 1st Unit that thwarted their plans."

"So, in other words, don't be surprised if I get stabbed in the back during a mission?" she mused cynically. Sakaki didn't laugh and she'd be offended if he did. Rin got up from her seat and walked up to the blank screen in her room. In doing so, she turned her back to him. She entered a few codes and the screen came back to life. The last image set—the moon, reappeared and stared back at her as if in invitation. If she turned him down then things would go on as they had. She'd sneak away to the Outer Ghetto with Kota after recon missions. She'd shop and make outfits with Alisa. She'd help Sakuya find Lindow when he'd shirk his duties. She'd continue bothering Soma to teach her how to cook. There was so much that she could continue to do…

But she wasn't the type to run away from a chance at someone else's happiness—even at the cost of her own.

"When do I leave?"

* * *

Soma stretched his sore muscles and brushed off the dirt that caked his gloves and pants. It took a lot of work and even more bribing on his end to get this done so quickly. He had been working on it for a while now at night, but now it even required his attention in the evening. Not that he completely minded, though. He carefully scanned each section of his creation, daring any part to shift out of place. When nothing rose to the challenge he pulled his fallen blue jacket on and took a moment to enjoy the setting sun. The red and oranges from the sun, as well as the pinks and purples from the clouds, reflected on droplets of water that condensed over his creation overnight—giving it an ethereal feel. Now that he thought about it, it was the first time he really _made_ something from nothing instead of destroyed. As a human made monster, Soma used to think it was all he was ever capable of.

He looked at his hand that had been drenched in red so many times and remembered the falling snow on the night Shio disappeared. The God Eater closed his eyes to go back to that moment.

_With Nova and Shio gone, everyone dashed outside to see. The moon was enveloped in a dazzling light. It was like two gentle hands were grasping the moon—embracing it lovingly as life sprouted from the seemingly lifeless surface. Out of nowhere gentle snow began to descend upon the God Eater's god forsaken world for the first time in years. _

_Soma pulled back the hood from his head and stared up at the falling flakes. His hand managed to catch one. It seemed to glow in his hands. He didn't know how to accurately describe how the small light in his hand felt. It wasn't cold like the ice in the Tranquil Temple. Soma could have sworn he even felt a pulse of life within each little snowflake. As he searched his memories for the right words, a light voice next to him beat him to it._

"_It's so warm…"_

_He turned and saw his leader doing the same as him—catch falling beads of light in her gloved hands. Except unlike him, she then held them to her chest and shut her eyes. _

"_So…so warm."_

As he thought about it now, the expression could be akin to heartbreak. Why? Why did she look so pained when she spoke such beautiful words?

Soma shook his head of the question and focused on setting up a barrier so that no Aragami would get curious as to what he had made just on the outskirts of the City of Mercy. He didn't have to worry about humans because this area was forbidden, even to most God Eaters. It was high above the city, close to where they would descend down the cliff into the hellish Aragami-infested field. Here, anyone standing here could watch over the once beautiful buildings and the sunsets he knew she loved.

He promised he'd take her to the place she wanted to go, and this was as close as he would be able to take her. Soma chuckled. He was sure she wouldn't mind.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

So...there's the chapter. Yes, there's another chapter. Hopefully some won't cry when this fic is over cuz, that's all i'll say haha. I must have edited this chapter so many times in terms of additions. So hopefully there aren't too many typos. I think the next chapter will come either by Halloween or early november. So, who's excited for God Eater 2 for 2013?


	2. Happiness

**My Dearest**

Chapter 2: Happiness

As I continue writing these short fics for God Eater I can't help but want to completely write out the story of Rin from rookie to leader, as well as how her relationship with Soma began. Buuuuuut I have my other long fics to finish… Also, I warn you that Soma may be OOC in this chapter… I also highly recommend listening to Sayonara Memories by Supercell at least once while reading the english subs. . ! And I think most of it fits Rin.

Last part… Or is it? (Read A/N at the end for more details)

I have a feeling that when I finish I'm going to cry…

EDIT: Oh my god thanks Lushard! I didn't notice how many times I repeated the names over and over again in conversations! I guess that's what happens when I add dialogue in at two in the morning XD. Thanks so much for pointing it out! I took some of them out so hopefully the flow is better.

* * *

_Looking back, I suddenly remember saying_

"_This is the person I'll fall in love with."_

_I wonder why?_

_I really have no idea_

_After that, each day made me very happy_

_Yet at the same time, it was also painful_

_-Supercell, Sayonara Memories_

* * *

Why did it happen?

That was one of the many questions that plagued her dreams. It was the one time where she was unable to distract herself enough not to think about it. But now, as she lay in her bed, even her impending reassignment couldn't distract her enough. In fact, it made her think about it more. Her eyes bore holes in her ceiling as she racked her mind for an answer.

In the beginning Rin told herself not to get too involved. She knew becoming a God Eater meant resigning yourself to life of pain and loss. Upon receiving her results for her bias factor compatibility, she vowed not to make any bonds that would cause any more pain than necessary. It would be easy, she decided, to simply make pseudo relationships just to pass by and increase her chances of surviving.

But then she met them. Kota, who managed to see right away that her serious façade in the beginning was just a front. Lindow, who eased her into her role as God Eater like a father would teach their daughter to ride a bike. Sakuya, who taught her everything she knew about treating injuries on the field. Alisa, who shared her worries on just what being a New-type entailed for them. And Soma… He let her know that the world would never be as sugar-coated as she or anyone else wished.

"_What kind of place did you think it was going to be?"_

Rin could tell right away. His words, although cold, weren't meant to frighten. They were a warning. Clear. Simple. She respected him for that. When was it? When did admiration turned into love? Was it when he once pushed her out of the way of a Chi-you's charge? Maybe it was when fear fully gripped her heart for the first time when she saw his body go flying through the air after a Vajra got a clear hit at him?

No, she mused bitterly at her fruitless efforts to make excuses for herself. She somehow knew from the get go that she would end up falling in love with the buster blader. The time when it hit her the most that there was no turning back was… It was back on the carrier when they were looking for Shio...

_The sun was dyed red against the yellow-orange sky as the two God Eaters made their way onto the Forgotten Carrier. Long ago, back when the Aragami were first wrecking havoc on the world, man chose to fight against each other instead of together in order to deal with the apocalypse at hand. Men slaughtered each other for resources aboard the carrier. Ironically enough, Aragami ultimately ended the fruitless battle between humans. Whenever Rin had a mission here she always thought about the men who lost their lives so meaninglessly. _

_Their battle with the Aragami… Would it ever end? Or would all their sacrificial work come to a similar meaningless end?_

_"You've probably figured it out by now, but the Aragami with the special core that the Director ordered us to find..." Soma spoke up and paused. He wasn't looking at her and instead set his sights on the torn metal footing of the carrier. "It's gotta be Shio."_

_"How did he even find out about her? I'm sure we were all careful enough," Rin frowned and looked across the horizon—towards Aegis Island. "Do you think she has anything to do with completing the Aegis Project?_

_"All my life, I've let that son of a bitch father of mine send me on these search missions. There were so many times I've dirtied my hands while he sat idly at his desk. All the battles and all the cores went straight to him and his damned research." The Buster blader continued. "But there's no way...no way am I gonna hand Shio over to that bastard."_

_"Soma..."_

_Maybe it was the way she said his name, or maybe he had one more thing to say. Either way, Soma raised his blade to his leader and layered his tone in ice. "Don't get me wrong. I don't like the way he manipulates Shio and me like we're his goddamned toys, that's all." _

_Rin's eyes widened for a moment, but she nodded as smile cracked through the surface. She was undaunted by his behavior. In fact, she welcomed it seeing as how lately he's been acting stranger—as if he could feel something was coming to fruition with every step they took. Rin felt it as well. They all did. "Feels kinda like deja vu, don't you think?"_

_Soma smirked, somehow unsurprised by her reaction, and retracted his blade. "Yeah, now that I think about it... I jabbed you with my sword the first time we met, too." A chuckle escaped him as he looked at his leader with a hint of amused pride. "You were just a rookie, then... And now you're a leader. Hah, I can't say I'm surprised. You always liked taking up everyone's burdens. You were too stubborn not to."_

_"I don't know if you complimented me or criticized me," she pouted while narrowing her eyes at the buster blader. After a while, she laughed and repositioned her glowing blue Rigoletto sword. "Well then. Shall we bring Shio back home?"_

_"Yeah. I know she's around here somewhere... I can feel it. But I hear other Aragami have been on the loose as well... Don't let your guard down."_

_The two nodded to each other and leapt down from the safe zone. Despite the warnings of both an Ogretail infestation and a Tezcatlipoca in the area, between the two of them the Aragami in the area never stood a chance. When Rin ran out of oracle bullets, Soma backed her up for the few precious seconds it took to switch to her blade form. When Soma was in position to devour Rin was ready to slash anything that dared to interrupt. It was like a dance of blades and bullets. Soon enough, the carrier grew quiet once more and the two God Eaters picked their way through the bodies of Aragami to continue the search._

"_Hey, do you hear that?" Soma asked. Rin tuned her ears and sure enough she could hear faint humming in the air._

"_Shio? Shio, where are you?" she called out and looked around. Soma looked up and saw Shio sitting down atop the higher end of the carrier. Her humming resumed as she turned her head towards the cerise heavens. Her breath cut short and she looked down into her lap._

"_Ah… What is this, I wonder?" she murmured. Although her white bangs shielded her eyes, both Rin and Soma could see streaks of tears rolling down her face. Shio wiped her arm across her face and frowned. "I don't… I don't like this one at all…"_

"_Because it's a song of parting…that's why." Soma spoke up and hefted his sword over his shoulder. Shio turned her head towards the sound of his voice and slowly repeated his words._

"_A song of…parting?"_

"'I'll never see my loved one again'_… That's what the words say." He answered quietly. He turned his head up toward her to make sure his point got across. "Got it?"_

"_I see… But we did meet again, Soma!" Shio replied cheerfully._

"_Jeez…" Soma turned away and Rin could see a faint shade of red against his tanned face. She half expected him to say something along the lines of 'idiot. Come on'. But instead he exceeded her expectations. "That's because I came looking for you!" A soft smile crept up onto his lips and Rin once again felt a pain of longing in her chest. She cursed inwardly and tried sealing those feelings away once more. Rin knew just how much Soma cared for this Aragami-girl. There would be no room for her there…not anywhere closer than where she stood now. The least she could do was make sure they could stay together—regardless of her own feelings. "Let's go back home, Shio."He turned to his leader, silently questioning why she was so quiet._

"_Yeah, we got you a lot of snacks!" Rin chirped in and hoped her voice did not crack. Shio grinned and nodded her head eagerly._

"_Okay!"As Shio made a move to get up her body began to glow in blue light. An agonized scream escaped her as she clutched her head. Rin recognized the markings from that time Shio first disappeared, but last time she didn't look so in pain. Was she fighting the reaction?_

_Soma tensed and Rin almost believed he'd drop his God Arc. "Shio! Is it happening again?" _

_The Aragami-girl's yellow eyes flashed bright gold for a moment and she got up. "I've…got to go." She didn't seem to register Soma's words and started to make her way to the ledge facing Aegis Island. _

"_Hey, come back here!" Soma shouted and took a few steps closer. "SHIO!" The Aragami-girl finally seemed to realize she was being called and hesitated in her step. She craned her body to face the two God Eaters below her. Rin gasped when she got a closer look at Shio's eyes. They looked almost blank—as if she was hypnotized. The 1st Unit leader noticed Shio's fingers twitching, as if somewhere deep inside her she was still fighting whatever instinct was telling her to leave. At last the markings receded and she fell to the ground with a faint cry. _

"_Shio!" Rin shouted and dropped her God Arc to the ground. She made a move to start climbing but Soma stopped her. "What are you—"_

"_I'll get her while you watch for any stragglers. Your gun will be a lot more useful for providing cover anyway," he reasoned as Rin agreed. Swiftly he climbed the higher part of the carrier while Rin scanned for Aragami that dared to come out. Minutes later, she sensed Soma landing next to her with Shio safely in his arms. She looked so fragile—like a bird who grew too tired to fly. _

"_Will she be okay?"_

"_I don't know, but we're heading back to the Den!" he replied hastily. Rin noticed his hold on the Aragami-girl in his arms tightened. The 1st Unit leader, holding back words she desperately wanted to say, nodded. Once again, she shut them inside her heart._

"_Okay. Let's go!"_

Without realizing it, Rin was singing during her thoughts. True to her heritage, she sung in Japanese—a language most of those in the Far Eastern Branch knew vaguely. Nowadays everyone spoke English. When she heard Soma and Shio say they heard a song together, she wondered where they must have been. Not a lot of people sang these days because there wasn't much to sing about. The old songs were lost. However Rin was able to keep a few close to her heart—close enough to remember.

_To my withering friend_

_What are you thinking about?_

_How do you convey love_

_With your speechless leaves?_

Rin stopped and bit her bottom lip gently. "I'm not the type to be looking back at all…" she grumbled and sat up. Rin stretched and checked the time. The bright lines on her headboard converged to read 00:18. It felt like a ticking time bomb was teasing her with two wires.

Cutting the blue wire would keep her here, at the Den, as safe as she could be in this Aragami-infested world. She would continue to be surrounded by her loved ones—at the cost of one chance at someone's happiness and everyone else's safety.

Cutting the red wire would send her head first into a world more dangerous than one overrun by Aragami. Forget about the oracle cell bound creatures. She would have targets on her back alone by man—a force far scarier than the Aragami.

Either way, someone got hurt.

The redhead groaned and fell back onto her sheets. Her eyes began to burn with frustrated tears and she pulled the pillow over her face. "I'm not a cry baby either."

'Just for tonight,' she wanted to reassure herself. After this, she would give up. She'd try to forget any hopes of coming back alive to the Den once she got on that transport chopper. She'd forget the bottomless pit of fear that she would walk straight into. But the tears refused to run down her face, nor did the growing fear disappear from her chest.

* * *

"Rin! You're back!" Kota beamed and pulled his leader up into a big hug. Rin laughed and tried pushing him back but to no avail.

"K-Kota! You just saw me a week ago!" she stuttered while laughing hard. Now that she was off the crutches and not confined to her bed she was pleasantly surprised to see that Kota was taller than her now. His muscles were becoming more toned and he was starting to look like a growing man. Until now she wondered if he would _ever_ get his growth spurt. Once the gunner put her down she trapped his head in an arm lock and ruffled his spiky red orange hair. "And by the way, don't treat your newly recovered leader like that!"

"Honestly, Kota, I thought you grew out of acting like a little kid!" Rin brightened at the voice of her sister figure, Alisa. She too had gone through some changes. Her hair was getting longer and dare she say wavy. After the two of them pulled each other in for a sisterly hug, they started to look each other over. The two of them were finally the same height, although Rin pouted when her eyes unconsciously compared their chest sizes.

"L-Leader?" Alisa asked when Rin didn't say anything. But the 1st Unit leader couldn't stay mad at Alisa's curious eyes and hugged her again.

"Why are you so cute?" she squealed as she held her fellow New-Type in her arms. After her high was over she looked around. "Where's Lindow and Sakuya?"

"They got called on a last minute mission," Rin recognized that voice anywhere and she quickly turned around. Soma stood with a brow raised at her bewildered expression. "What?" She walked up to him with her lips still parted in surprise. Her hand slowly raised to his face, as if to stroke his cheek. Just when Soma was about to step back Rin grabbed his shirt with one hand and slapped him hard with the other. While everyone watched in mute shock at the event, Soma recovered and snarled. "What the hell was that for?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question? Where the hell were you?" she shouted and crossed her arms over her chest. The two of them continued their banter while the other two watched in amusement after getting over the event.

Kota laced his hands behind his head and grinned. "Looks like those two are back to normal."

"I was worried there for a moment," Alisa sighed in relief and returned Kota's smile with her own. "Should I sign us all up for a warm up mission?"

"Ah, let them have some fun. We'll let 'em tire each other out. I'll take that mission on though." Kota replied and grinned widely when Soma started messing up their leader's hair while she fruitlessly tried to slap his hands away. Soma came a long way from Kota's original impression as an, for lack of a better term, arrogant asshole.

"I suppose you're right. Leader looks really happy. It's been quite some time since she saw Soma."

"Makes me wonder where he goes when he has free time in-between missions." There was a sly smile on the assault gunner's face. "Oh, Dr. Sakaki!" Said-doctor came down the elevator, surprising many since he rarely left the top floors. Rin and Soma stopped their fighting momentarily and reluctantly went over to him.

"My, my. You look all healed," he grinned and fixed his glasses. Rin smirked.

"Well, I can't stay in bed forever. So what's up?"

"I didn't want to spoil the reunion but there's a mission I need you and Soma to do right away."

Kota pouted and sulked. "Aw, why only those two?"

"Yes. If I may ask, why the restriction, Doctor?" asked Alisa.

"There's new Aragami activity that I'm interested in around the City of Mercy. I need you and Soma to investigate. I'm afraid if too many people go on this mission the Aragami will flee. It's a rather shy thing, really." He chuckled. Rin and Soma sent each other a look before shrugging and accepting. "Good. I've already arranged a chopper for you two so all you need to do is get your supplies. I recommend bringing some food with you as well. I need you to merely record data on the Aragami. You are forbidden from slaying it."

"Interesting," Rin grinned. "Seems like an easy enough mission for my first day back, eh, Soma?"

The Buster blader sighed. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to trip over your own feet when you say that?"

"Hey! I'm not clumsy!"

"Do I need to remind you of that Storm Queen mission?"

"I stumbled on a rock hidden in the snow! It happens to everyone!"

"A pebble," he amended with a scoff and crossing of his arms, "If there was even one there in the first place."

"Why you…"

The two continued to argue even on the way to where their God Arcs were being stored. Kota and Alisa questioned the sly smile on the doctor's face but thought nothing of it. Little did they know that his 'mission' might actually be a little experiment…

It would be a perfect opportunity to test out his new truth serum that he snuck into their rations for today.

* * *

"Ogretail…Ogretail…Kongou… What new Aragami activity is he talking about?" Rin huffed and took a swig of water from her canteen. "Soma, did you sniff anything out?"

"I'm not a dog, damn it," he growled and took a bite from a stale roll of bread from his pack. His eyes scanned the perimeter almost distractedly. "Looks like time is up for this mission. We'll tell Doc it didn't appear and regroup another time."

"Yessir, captain sir!" Rin saluted and gave him a silly smile before going on ahead. Soma shook his head and followed after her. Once they got back on the cliff, Soma paused and looked up at a higher part of the cliff where they seldom went. Rin cocked her head in question. "What's wrong?"

"Just get up here." And without another word he started climbing the tall, rugged wall of rock.

"Hey, get back here! We're not allowed up there! Jeez!" Rin complained when he didn't stop. After looking to the sides she climbed up as well. There was still light from the sunset so it wouldn't be too hard to get back down once she grabbed him. And if he resisted then she could always push him down. At most he'd get a bruise anyway. Once she neared the ledge she drew a breath to scold him. "Why the heck did you come up…here…?"

Her brown eyes widened to the max when she saw just what exactly was up on the cliff. A large bed of flowers were growing near the cliff edge. Tiny white flowers that looked like Queen Anne's Lace in text books were sprinkled around red, pink, and yellow Carnations. The scent of flora and freshly dug earth hung in the air and she dropped her white Trovatore god arc in shock. The light from the sunset hit the flowers just right as they danced in the breeze while being bathed in orange sunlight. Rin took a few steps forward towards the flowers and held out a hesitant hand out—as if she was scared that if she touched them they'd disappear, or that she was only touching the cold, lifeless screen in her room again.

"W-What is this? How did you…?" she stammered and finally turned to him. Soma turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets. He too discarded his white god arc, but it lay sheathed in the earth unlike hers that lay against the ground.

"You said you wanted to see them, didn't you? The flowers." he grumbled. Rin blinked and then recalled telling him something at the end of their most recent vacation.

"_You know… I never heard where you wanted to go." Soma told her as they were staring at the forest they would soon leave. Just the other night, Rin fulfilled his wish and took him to the moon by the lake. _

_She racked her mind for an idea. Once she found one, she bitterly mused that it would never happen. Despite the odds she decided to humor him as well as herself._

"_Take me to a field of flowers."_

_Soma stared at her skeptically but sighed and ran a hand through her red hair, as if to affirm her somewhat ludicrous request._

"_That wouldn't be so bad, I guess."_

"But this… The flowers… How? This wasn't here before, was it?" she asked.

He blushed uncomfortably and completely turned his back to her. "You were wondering why I haven't been checking up on you before, right? Well, here you go." Rin's legs gave out and she slumped to the ground to join her god arc. All her energy left her and she hung her head low. Soma finally turned to the noise and knelt down. "Hey! What happened?"

"How is this fair? Just when I decided…" she choked out and hung her head even lower. Her hands tightly gripped the cloth of her pants as if strengthening her resolve. Soma recognized that steadying breath. She often did so when she was about to do something reckless or selfless—all in order to protect those around her. "Soma, I…"

"I know…" he sighed and frowned when he saw her visibly flinch. "I know you're being reassigned soon." Her shoulders relaxed and he questioned if she tensed up for something else. Either way he took a chance and placed his hand on top of hers. It was just like he remembered it: small and gentle. It used to surprise him considering what they all did for a living. The last time he held her hand like this might have been when he was teaching her how to shoot a slingshot. Her hands, although small and seemingly harmless, were firm in completing their goal. Now, as he held that same small hand he could feel a faint tremor of doubt, of weakness. It was the barest of trembles, but he noticed it. Soma decided to turn his hand so that it slid under hers and grasped it in what he hoped exuded assurance or gentleness as she had done to so many others in the past—including himself, although he had shaken off her efforts far too many times than he could count. "I just didn't want you to leave before I couldn't complete my promise."

"You knew about that…huh…" she muttered in what he thought was disappointment. When she raised her head, Soma was shocked to see bitter tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. "You knew and you didn't spend time with me? You didn't tell me why you never showed up?" Rin pulled her hand away and held it to her chest. "Why? I would have been much happier with a month spent just being with you than a few days—a few hours talking with you!" Normally, she always had her emotions in check. But for some reason it was like a dam had broken and the 1st Unit leader was trying in vain to stem the torrent. "I waited, Soma. I've been waiting, and waiting, and _waiting_." She found strength in her legs once more and stood up while taking a step back. Her entire body posture screamed 'cornered animal.' Her defenses were up, but she took a few seconds to breathe. Rin gripped her shirt in what looked like painful acceptance. "And I was fine with it. I accepted it. But now… Now you go and try to shake me up all of a sudden? Damn it!"

Now he stood up as well to rebut her strange statements, but Soma hesitated. He was angry alright. Why wasn't she content with all the work he did just for her? Didn't she want to see it? Another part of him was confused. Why _didn't_ he go see her? He definitely had some time even between coming here and missions. When he heard from Doctor Sakaki that she was being reassigned, probably far away, he practically leapt at the chance to go in her place. He couldn't describe why, but he felt an unnatural amount of protectiveness. It was strange. Sure, on missions he was concerned about her reckless fighting style every now and then, but he never stopped her from taking missions—never pushed her to choose him to be in the attack team. If he had to put his worry in words it felt like if she left…

She'd never come back again.

"I…" he couldn't find the right excuse to tell her. Instead he bit into his cheek and let instinct take over. He stepped forward and pulled her in to his chest with his arms. Soma didn't know what exactly possessed him to go so far as to embrace her, but he dared to admit it wasn't completely unpleasant. Her hands awkwardly pressed against his chest to keep balance. "Sorry…"

"You idiot…" she mumbled against his jacket. "You stupid, stubborn idiot…" Soma could feel her hands fist his shirt tightly, but he didn't mind. The trembling in her body started to die down. He slowly retracted his arm and she began to pull away while subtly wiping her eyes. Her cheeks puffed up in a stubborn, childish pout as she lightly glared at him. "But thank you…for doing all this."

"You're welcome." He chuckled and ruffled her hair. She playfully slapped it away, but at the last moment she grabbed his hand in a gentle yet firm hold. Soma didn't pull away and only looked at her in silent question.

"Hey… Can we stay here? For a little while longer?" Rin tentatively asked. Her voice sounded meek and not at all like the fearless leader that took down a Corrosive Hannibal all by herself. Not at all like their strong leader that wanted to protect them, even at the cost of her own safety. She was just…a normal girl that wanted a small moment of a normal life. Soma, who was far from that label, simply nodded as the two of them sat side by side near the flowers overlooking the City of Mercy. Rin let out a content sigh and shifted ever so slightly closer to the buster blader. Her hand inched slowly over to his and barely touched her pinky to his. When he didn't move away, she dared to move it a little closer. Closer…Closer…

Until he pulled away.

Rin felt her cheeks blaze red in shame for her moment of weakness. Deep down she should have known that Soma's act of kindness was nothing more. She was about to sit her hands on her lap when Soma's gloved hand gently overlapped hers once more. The 1st Unit leader froze and dared not look down at their hands between them.

"When a few more rookies can handle themselves..." Soma started. His hand gripped hers tighter, as if in promise. "I'll come find you. It doesn't matter where either. I'll find you no matter what."

"Even if I go far away?" Rin continued to stare straight, far into the distance buildings that started to grow dark. She turned her palm up and gripped his hand with hers.

"Yeah."

His warmth mixed with hers between their gloves and she wished she had taken them off. But this was enough... Rin feared her eyes would grow blurry once more if she looked at the buster blader. It frustrated her to no end that she couldn't build up her 'strong leader' facade once again. She couldn't laugh off his concern with confidence because she was scared too. Rin scoffed at the notion. She, the one who usually went head first into an Ogretail den or took the brunt of damage in the front lines, was scared of leaving the one place she could call home on this godless place. Or perhaps it was overrun by too many?

Her lips curved slightly in a forced grin. "I might be going to the moon y'know. It's not exactly a chopper ride away, Soma."

"I'll figure something out. You just worry about watching your back out there." He chuckled and turned to her. At last she found the strength to look at him. There was a smug smile on his face as usual, but there was something beneath that. Rin couldn't help but make a joke and added.

"Is that _affection_ I see on your face?"

"Beats me," he shrugged distractedly. They sat in silence for a good time. It was only broken by small comments and questions, like how Soma managed to get the flowers or Rin's experimenting with cooking (And unfortunately failing). As the sun was finally starting to disappear past the horizon, the two of them got up and dusted themselves off. "We should probably head back now."

"Yeah, we'll get in trouble if we stay any longer." Rin sighed in disappointment. She made a move to pick her Trovatore god arc up but Soma didn't let go of her hand. "Soma?"

"…Never mind." He shook his head and let her hand slip through his fingers. She frowned, already longing for that warmth again, but today in itself was already a miracle. They both grabbed their white god arcs and gave one last look at the small field of flowers against the last rays of sunlight.

"Hey," Rin started.

"Yeah?"

"When I come back let's see this again." She smiled at him again. This time the determined light was back in her eyes. Her role as leader was taken up once more. Soma smirked and ruffled her hair.

"You're making me promise a lot today, cheeky brat."

Rin laughed and slapped his hands away. "Do you have a problem with it?"

Soma gave it some honest thought and then smirked again. "One more and I might."

"I'll have to make my next promise count then." She sighed in contentment and turned on her communicator attached to her ear. "1st Unit leader Amagi Rin reporting in."

There was a moment of static before she heard Hibari's voice over the speaker. "Copy. What's your status? The time for your mission ended a while ago, Amagi-san."

"Aw, c'mon Hibari," she feigned hurt at the title from her friend. "That hurts so much!"

"I'd be in a better mood if someone warned me you'd be late," she scolded. "Anyway, what do you need?"

"Chopper for two please. I'll fill you in on the details when we get back." When the connection cut off she saw Soma's glare aimed right at her. Rin pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You're little soft moment will stay between us!"

He turned away and crossed his arms whilst muttering. "Yep…_definitely_ better to be a loner after all…"

* * *

Even after they returned from their escapade in the City of Mercy, Soma never commented on returning his tie. It completely slipped Rin's mind until she was back in her room to settle down for the day. It sat idly on her bed, as if waiting for her return. She quickly shed her sweaty Famitsu clothing and changed into a large t-shirt and shorts to sleep in. Her shift was over for the day anyway, unless a major emergency would rouse her from her break.

"Hello, you." She amused herself by greeting the cloth and picked it up before sitting down on the bed. She removed the black ribbon in her red hair and set it down to the side where other important trinkets made their home, for now at least. There was a small piece of Lindow's god arc in a special clear case, a green ribbon from Shio's dress, and a few picture frames. One held a picture of a young redheaded girl next to an older man with dark brown hair and kind eyes that matched hers. The girl, now battle-hardened leader of the 1st Unit, turned to another frame containing her family here at Fenrir. Kota, Alisa, Sakuya, Lindow, and even Soma (After some goading and pulling) were all pulled into the picture with Rin beaming brightly in the center. All these trinkets would soon join everything else in the storage boxes that made her reassignment all the more real.

A knock on her door luckily distracted her and she quickly went to answer it without even checking who was there through the camera. "Who is it—Soma?"

He looked away uncomfortably and crossed his arms. "Well? Are you going to let me in or not?"

She frowned but did so nonetheless. He stepped inside as she shut the door behind him. His eyes wandered the room, but they seemed to focus on the metal crates that were filled with her belongings and paperwork.

"What's up?" She asked when he didn't say anything about his arrival. Rin sat down on her bed and grabbed her pillow. "Something on your mind?"

"…You're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yes." Rin replied after a long pause. She sighed and hugged the pillow to her chest. "It's a little ironic, seeing as how I promised myself I wouldn't leave after…" She trailed off and bit her tongue. Soma turned to face her with a question in his eyes.

"After?"

"I just promised I wouldn't leave this place," she amended quickly. "This branch… Despite everything that goes on, it's the closest thing I have to home. To a family." Rin fell back on her bed. Her red hair sprayed like a small fan against the dark sheets and she let out a tired sigh. "I wonder if it's possible to get happiness with your own two hands…" She raised one to the ceiling. "I always wondered if it was something you get or if it's something someone gives you." She could feel a pressure bear down on one end of the bed. Soma must have sat down next to her. Without raising her head to look at him she asked, "What do you think?"

"I think you sound oddly pessimistic."

She let out a hollow laugh and pushed her pillow off her. At the same time she was unable to see the barest of flinches from the buster blader. "Does this mean you're starting to become an optimist?"

He leaned forward into her line of vision. His blue eyes were narrowed and his lips were formed into a thin line. "Will you tell me what the hell is bothering you already?" Rin felt her heart stop beating for a second, but she quickly composed herself before replying.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he pushed and leans forward even more. "You're leaving. I get it. I'm not exactly thrilled with it either, leader. But there's something else going on and you know it." Rin looked away. "Rin!"

"It doesn't matter, Soma," she tried to avoid answering but soon enough he completely shifted from his spot on the bed and leaned over her. His arms trapped her on both sides of her head and the rest of his body hovered over her—pinning her down. Despite her oracle enhanced body, they _both_ knew she wouldn't be able to push him off.

"Weren't you the one that told me not to say 'it doesn't matter'?" he challenged as Rin's lips thinned in agitation. Soma clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why do you always take the damned burdens all by yourself? And what makes you so scared that you can't tell anyone?"

"There isn't a damned thing I'm _not_ scared of!" she shouted and he flinched again. Not from the volume but from the answer. Her brown eyes narrowed and she sat up even more. "Why do I take the burdens? Because I want to protect what's important to me, even if it scares the hell out of me! I'm scared. Scared I'll make a mistake. Scared I won't ever come back. Scared I won't ever see you guys anymore! And you want to know why I can't tell anyone? I refuse to let anyone else get involved in my mess any more than they have already. Are you satisfied now?"

After recovering he leaned forward again and caused her to back down. "Like hell I am. We're a part of the same unit. Even without that, with all the shit we've been through, how can I be satisfied with that? If our leader can't trust us to cover each other's backs, then how can we cover hers?"

"It's not a matter of trust. I just…" she bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly.

"Just what?" he demanded.

"I don't want you to get hurt!" She shouted again in response. Before he could call on it, she continued. "I know… There's no way to stay safe in this world. I _know_ that. But there's no way I'm going to sit idly and get you all killed because of me and a damned hero complex!" The buster blader growled low in his throat. She recognized the look in his dark blue eyes. He was losing it and soon he'd act solely on instinct. "So,—"

Soma suddenly gripped her wrists by her head and leaned as close to her as he could. So close in fact that his breath felt hot against her lips. "You stubborn idiot…!" With wide eyes, Rin felt warm lips press against hard hers and the grip on her wrists tightened. A small squeak of protest escaped her and her brain was working in overtime. Was this really happening? Her battle honed reflexes started to fight against the situation. As if noticing her confusion, Soma's iron-tight hold on her small wrists tightened even more, eliciting another whimper from the 1st Unit Leader. The pain made it real enough but soon the buster blader pulled away slowly and carefully studied her expression. Rin blinked somewhat in dazed confusion.

"Hey, say something…" Soma spoke quietly. He released her wrists and planted his beside her head again on the bed. Rin was still stunned into silence.

Taking another chance, Soma leaned down again to steal yet another kiss. This time it was gentler, apologetic even. Her lips trembled momentarily against his before he felt a small response. Her lips began to move against his slowly and her hands hesitantly moved up his arms to his shoulders and then to his broad back. Soma's body shifted while still keeping up with the lip contact. His legs positioned themselves on both sides of her hips, trapping her. When he pulled away again, Rin's brown eyes searched his blue ones in wonder. But above all, they were shrouded with insecure question. Soma pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. She followed suit.

"Do you trust me?"

"Mmhm."

He placed his hand on her warm cheek and traced her bottom lip with his thumb before leaning down for another time.

* * *

Rin stretched as she sat down on one of the storage boxes that had been moved to the lobby of the Far Eastern Branch. Workers were moving some of the crates to a chopper as she oversaw the work. Other God Eaters watched on in both shock and grief that their famous New-Type was leaving. After all, she was quite popular at the branch and they would miss her presence. Alisa was fighting tears and forcing a happy smile for her while Kota was constantly cracking jokes. Lindow and Sakuya stayed close by and chatted with Rin every now and then, but they couldn't hide the sadness in their eyes unlike Kota. Soma was, once again, nowhere to be seen.

Tsubaki walked down the steps, clipboard in hand, and joined her on one of her crates. Rin didn't even try to hide her surprise and gave her a lopsided grin. "Sorry for causing such a commotion here. The unloading docks were still filled with the new shipment of medicine and materials. I asked if they could push my moving back a little but…" she laughed sheepishly. "They thought it was an excuse to stay."

"No, it's alright." Tsubaki set her clipboard down and got comfortable. "I've also tried to reason with those imbeciles from the other branches but they're as hardheaded as you and Lindow."

"You gotta admit that same hardheadedness saved us more than a couple times," Rin joked. Tsubaki chuckled and then took something out from her pocket. It was a small USB with another end that could hook up to a small port on their bracelet. "What's that?"

Tsubaki paused for a moment before placing the USB in Rin's hands. "You'll need it if you find yourself in a pinch. When you get some time after arriving, look at it on a secure terminal. You'll understand what it is when you see it." The sniper gave the 1st Unit leader a rare smile before picking up her clipboard and straightening up. "1st Unit leader Amagi Rin."

"Yes, ma'am!" At the commanding tone, Rin stood up at attention. The two of them were both sent back to a time when she just arrived at the Den. They were rookie and commander back then. Now they stood as equals.

"As of today, you are relieved of your duties from the Far Eastern Branch," Rin felt her heart drop at the words but hid it from her face. "However, we expect a swift return from you. And if not, you will be welcome at any time."

Rin took a chance and broke protocol. She relaxed from her saluting position and gave Tsubaki a big hug. The woman tensed up for a moment before returning the hug. Needless to say, the Den mumbled more words of shock and awe before the two women turned to the crowd with icy cold glares that rivaled a Caligua's.

"Look at you. Causing a riot in the Den as usual," Soma's voice broke through the dispersing crowd and Rin brightened. She quickly bowed to Tsubaki and hurried over to the buster blader.

"About time you got here! I should get you a watch next time I come back," Rin spoke with meaning behind her little remark.

"Idiot. Just focus on getting back here. If not, I'll have to drag you back here myself," he scoffed, but also reinforced his promise with her.

"We're ready!" a man from the moving crew called out. She could already hear the familiar sound of chopper blades just outside the heavy doors.

"Looks like time's up." Rin said with a long sigh as she slowly made her way outside the Den, possibly for the last time for a while.

Everyone that knew her closely followed her outside as she exchanged goodbyes and prayers for her to stay safe. Alisa hugged her tightly and it wasn't long until Kota, and Sakuya followed suit. When they pulled away, Lindow gave her a hug of his own and murmured something in his ear before pointing to Soma. Rin blushed and Soma was determined to find out what the hell his previous leader told the redhead. At last it was Soma's turn to say his farewells. The chopper crew was beginning to grow restless, but one glare from the buster blader shut them up.

Rin smiled gently at him but then jumped up as if she remembered something. She reached into her pouch and slowly pulled out the black tie that she always forgot to return. She held it out to him. Just as his fingers touched her palm to take it she hesitated and flinched. Soma blinked and stopped, allowing his hand to linger on hers.

"Can I…have this?" Rin asked as she tentatively stroked the slightly rough cloth of his tie with her thumb. "I promise I'll give it back."

Soma frowned slightly but nodded slowly. He stretched his hand out and hesitantly ruffled her hair one last time. "Alright then. But if you're taking that…" Soma's hand reached behind her head and let loose the long black ribbon that held it in place. Rin's red locks fanned out for a moment before settling down against her upper back. He then leaned in close to her ear and whispered in a low, somewhat husky voice. "I'll keep this until you get back." She dared not comment on the way his voice wavered as well, because surely a choked sob would come out in its place. She nodded. Soma surprised everyone by pulling her in for a tight embrace, just like he had done on the cliff—if not tighter. Rin's arms circled around him as well and she buried her face in his chest. One of the men on the chopper finally had the nerve to shout at her to hurry up. This time, Soma's icy glare did not faze him.

"Promise me," she started as she gripped the cloth of his blue jacket tighter. "Promise you'll remember me."

"It figures you'd use that last promise on something stupid like that," he sounded annoyed but Rin knew better and waited for him to collect his full reply. "If you talk like that it sounds like you're giving up, _leader_." He chuckled. "But if it'll make you feel better, then I won't. Make sure you live long enough to let me find you then in exchange."

"Deal." she said after pulling away slightly. "I'll…see you soon, okay Soma?" The buster blader smiled a little and kissed her on the forehead whilst ignoring the surprised (And some jealous) shouts of the Den occupants.

"See you soon."

Reluctantly, she escaped his embrace and walked into that chopper with her head held high. As the chopper started to lift into the air and cheers and cries for her blew in the wind, she waved and then finally focused on Soma. She whispered three words quietly into the air as she tightly held the black tie in her right hand.

Soma said them right back.

* * *

**A/N: **This is practically begging for an epilogue, XD. I would have continued but I think that's a good cut off. This fic is pretty long compared to how I mapped it out before. There's like, 8k words here! Sweet! I hope I managed to make some people's days with this! At the same time I hope I managed to let people break out some tissues. If not, then I'll try my best to make people cry in another fic or something. This fic will be finished as of now. If I decide on finishing my epilogue idea then I'll upload it. Reviews might help dish it out… -whistles innocently-


End file.
